When we were in Savannah everyone from the area said we needed to try Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons. We had parked our car about a block away from Juliet Gordon Low’s Birth house and decided to walk to the restaurant from our parking spot. Parking is not the easiest situation it Downtown Savannah and we had found a nice spot where we could remain all afternoon. It was a walk but the architecture that spans 150 years and the beautifully tree filled squares are a fun history lesson. We had to stop and read all the signs posted that outlined the history of Savannah.
The Lady and Sons is on the corner of one of those park squares. It is a lovely weather worn brick building with a neon light outlined sign hanging from the corner of the building. You enter through a glass windowed double door. The check-in stand is directly to your left. There is a small dining area downstairs and an additional dining area upstairs. If you pass the buffet that is directly in front of you, you find the bathrooms to the right and the Paula Deen store straight ahead. Her store is stocked with every kitchen gadget imaginable. There are also some fun knick knacks to take home to remind you of your visit. “Butter Y’all.”
Everyone knows Paula Deen from her Food Network show, which is no longer being produced. She is independently producing her own show that can be found if you search hard enough. Her son still has a show in production called, “Not My Mommas Recipes.” You may have heard the controversy that swarmed around her a couple of years ago, but you wouldn’t notice the effect on her restaurant or her staff, which is friendly and diverse.
Now on to the food, which varied greatly in its quality. I had the crab cakes which were a little dry but full of crab. I didn’t use the condiment that came with them, because I like to be able to taste the crab. The condiment would definitely off-set the dryness. The greens that came with the crab were cooked in the oven and super crispy, there was no water left in them and they just fell apart in your mouth. I’m not sure how these are supposed to be prepared, but I’m guessing not like this. As for the couscous and asparagus side, it was delightful and moist and full of flavor. The spices and salt were just the right level.
My husband and daughter had the buffet. It was a mixed bag of flavor. My husband wanted fried chicken in Savannah and a good fried chicken seems to be elusive here. It was okay but spent a little too long under the heat lamps of the buffet table. We tried to wait for them to deliver fresh fried chicken, but we weren’t there for the tray exchange. The sides were adequate but not up to our expectations. They weren’t special, and they weren’t cooked as well as they should have been cooked.
The highlight of the meal was the ooey gooey butter cake that you could choose as your desert with the buffet. They were offering the ooey gooey cake and the peach cobbler. We had one of each with our meal, since two buffets were ordered at our table. The cake was this amazing combination of butter, sugar, and flour. The top had a lovely sprinkling of sugar that had been browned in the oven. It was over the top sweet and decadent and just a couple of bites was enough to send your taste buds into heaven. My son that isn’t a big sweet-tooth loved it. The peach cobbler was fine, but not as creative as the cake. It was a little doughy, which seemed to work well with the cake but not the cobbler. It needed some crispiness to off-set the mushiness of the peaches.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was rustic and clean. It was a nice bright space with a lot of natural light. The noise level was just right. The low ceilings and small space helped keep the atmosphere inviting and the experience peaceful. Unfortunately, the restaurant is pricy, and I can’t really justify the price. I can’t really recommend the restaurant either. The food isn’t cooked as well as it should be cooked because most of it has been overcooked or was prepared too soon in advance and is over-done. The quality of food is there, but if not prepared correctly it isn’t enjoyable. We were left with a hefty bill and a lack luster meal.
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